Why we are against restructuring of Nigeria – Northern elders

Some leaders of the northern part of Nigeria have vehemently kicked against the calls in some parts of the country to be restructured in order to make the nation more effective.

The northern leaders yesterday rejected the calls and insisted that the federal government must vote more resources for exploration of oil in the region.

The northern leaders, who were members of the 2014 National Conference, in a meeting in Abuja, spoke on the platform of the Northern Delegates’ Forum, NDF.

They said, “The North was not given fair representation in the conference with 189 delegates despite its landmass of 70 per cent and 55 per cent of the country’s population.

“Therefore, we were not happy with the report and have come out with this second report and communiqué.”

A former Minister of Power and Steel in the Sani Abacha regime, Bashiru Dalhatu, while presenting his keynote address also said, “The 2014 national conference had 492 members and the north which constitutes about 70 per cent of the country’s landmass and 55 per cent of its population was allocated 189 delegates while the South with only 30 per cent of the landmass and 45 per cent of its population was given an incredible 305 delegates.

“This went against sensible demographics, law and practice, which could have hardly been done in good faith. Certainly it was designed to put in particular our delegates and the North in general at a disadvantage.

“All attempts to get the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, including pleas by well meaning Nigerians who genuinely wanted a national conference to reflect the diversity and complexity of the Nigerian society, fell on deaf ears.

“To reiterate and maintain our position that the report of the confab is of questionable legal validity, the outcome of a process that lacks popular mandate or support and major decisions were arrived at by undemocratic means or at variance with due process.

“To disassociate the NDF from any attempt by any group to seek to implement or force the federal government or any of its institutions to use the report of the conference, under any guise for the purpose of restructuring Nigeria.

“To call upon any group of sponsors or individuals agitating for any form of restructuring of the federation, first and foremost, to respect the existing constitutional order and to seek to do so within the bounds and parameters stipulated under our constitution and law. To suggest otherwise would lead to chaos and anarchy,” the NDF said.